ABA Medicaid rates in Indiana sit almost exactly at the national middle after a 2026 reduction: Indiana Medicaid pays $64.16 an hour for code 97153 billed with modifier U1, ranking 21st of 42 states and 1.1% above the national median of $63.44. The rate is $16.04 per 15-minute unit, effective 2026-04-01.
Indiana's ABA policy has been unusually active. Since late 2025 the state has issued coverage notices, recorded a -6.0% change, filed state plan amendments and, as of 2026-10-01, set new group rates. All rates below are compiled from official Indiana Medicaid publications and link to their source documents on the Indiana Medicaid rates hub.
The 2026 Indiana ABA rate change, step by step
The sequence on file runs as follows:
- 2025-12-18: the State Budget Committee took up a Medicaid SPA/waiver item on Applied Behavioral Analysis.
- 2026-02-25: Indiana published the Notice of Change in Applied Behavioral Analysis Coverage and the Notice of Changes to Alternative Benefits Plan Applied Behavior Analysis Coverage. Both are recorded with a -6.0% change, effective 2026-04-01.
- 2026-03-31: two pending SPAs were filed, the Applied Behavioral Analysis SPA and the Alternative Benefits Plan Applied Behavior Analysis SPA.
- 2026-04-01: the new individual ABA rates took effect.
- 2026-10-01: the current group rates took effect.
Because the SPAs are still listed as pending, agencies should watch for CMS action. The rates on this page reflect the April and October 2026 schedules.
Indiana Medicaid ABA reimbursement by code
Indiana uses modifiers to mark provider level: U1 for technician codes and U3 for analyst codes, with U6 added on group codes.
| Code | Per hour | Rank | vs national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97153 technician therapy (U1) | $64.16 | 21 of 42 | +1.1% |
| 97155 analyst plan changes (U3) | $103.88 | 19 of 41 | +2.8% |
| 97151 analyst assessment (U3) | $103.88 | 25 of 41 | -10.9% |
| 97156 caregiver training (U3) | $106.16 | 15 of 43 | +12.0% |
| 97152 technician assessment support (U1) | $64.16 | 17 of 29 | -16.7% |
| 97158 analyst-led group (U3, U6) | $39.80 | 14 of 30 | +6.7% |
Technician-led groups (97154, modifiers U1 and U6) pay $6.14 a unit, or $24.56 an hour, ranking 25th of 37 and 18.0% below the national median of $29.96.
The schedule is built around two base rates: $16.04 a unit for technician work and $25.97 for analyst work, with caregiver training slightly higher at $26.54. That puts Indiana close to the national median on most individual codes. Assessment is the main exception, at 10.9% below its median.
Prior authorization: a heavy, uneven rule set
Indiana has a detailed authorization profile, and the rule counts vary widely by code:
- 97158 (analyst-led group): 26 prior-authorization rules.
- 97154 (technician-led group): 13.
- 97153 (technician therapy): 11.
- 97151 (assessment): 6.
- 97152 (technician assessment support): 3.
- 97155 and 97156 (analyst treatment and caregiver training): 2 each.
- T1027: 0.
No unit limits are published. The pattern is telling: group services and direct technician therapy face the most authorization conditions, while analyst treatment and caregiver training face the fewest. Agencies introducing group programs in Indiana should budget extra administrative time for authorization.
Wages and margins after the cut
Indiana's wage data sits below national levels. The median wage for the closest comparable technician occupation was $21.42 an hour in May 2025, against $22.08 nationally; the analyst proxy was $25.85, against $28.53. Both are proxy occupations and understate pay for credentialed RBTs and BCBAs.
- 97153 and 97152: wages take 47.4% of the $64.16 rate, leaving $33.72 an hour after a loaded wage.
- 97155 and 97151: wages take 35.4% of the $103.88 rate, leaving $67.14.
- 97156: wages take 34.6% of the $106.16 rate, leaving $69.42.
A -6.0% change on the technician rate falls almost entirely on margin, since wages do not fall with the rate. Agencies that set pay before April 2026 should recheck their per-hour economics against these figures.
How Indiana pays for ABA: state-paid, outside managed care
Indiana's managed-care rule for behavioral health is "Paid directly by the state, outside managed care." For ABA providers, that means the Indiana Medicaid fee schedule on this page is the rate that applies, rather than a rate negotiated separately with each plan. Sixteen plans are on file; the Indiana managed-care page lists them along with the rule for each service line.
The notices on file also name the Alternative Benefits Plan, which has its own ABA coverage notice and pending SPA. Agencies serving members in that plan should confirm that the same rates apply. Indiana's programs on file also include the Family Supports Waiver and the Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Indiana versus the top and bottom ABA states
Indiana's $64.16 is a middle-of-the-table rate. Alaska pays $127.80, Georgia $123.64 and Iowa $114.36, while Louisiana pays $40.00 and New York $38.52. For a Midwest operator, Indiana offers a near-median schedule with state-paid ABA. The national ABA rates hub compares every state, and our methodology explains the per-hour conversion and ranking.
Updated 2026-10-05